Composite panels and boards are known in the industry. For example, medium density fiberboard, high density fiberboard and hardboard are well known. There are many uses for these boards. In respect of flooring, boards of this type have been used as a carrier board for decorative laminate. The boards or panels are also used in the furniture and building industry.
A finished laminated flooring plank typically consists of four layers, a homogenous wood based board with a decorative layer and a clear wear protection layer on top, and a bottom layer or backer layer to equalize surface tension. The decorative layer is often designed to make the panel resemble wood. The two basic lamination processes are either high-pressure lamination (HPL) or direct lamination (DL). Currently, laminate flooring is not generally used for commercial application or in residential areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, due to the thickness swell of fiberboard when exposed to moisture. Water absorption tends to cause thickness swell of the fiberboard and often results in de-lamination and warping.
There are a variety of polyurethane foams, including flexible, semi-rigid and rigid foams. Polyurethane products are produced by the reaction of a polyisocyanate and a hydroxyl-containing material. A broad spectrum of materials can be produced to meet the needs of specific applications due to the variety of diisocyanates and the wide range of polyols that can be used to produce polyurethane. Most foamed polyurethanes, unlike thermoplastic materials, cannot be melted and reused in its original form.
Rigid polyurethane foams are used primarily for energy management as insulation for buildings, water heaters, refrigerated transport, and commercial and residential refrigeration. Rigid polyurethane foams are also used in construction, appliances, packaging, tanks and pipes, transportation, marine applications, and decorative products. Semi-rigid and flexible polyurethane foams are used as a backing for carpet and in upholstered furniture, mattresses, and automobiles.
Product recycling, due to ecological concerns, is becoming more important worldwide. Polyurethane materials are used in many vehicle components, including headliners, which cover the interior roof of the vehicle. Headliners typically consist of layers of fabric, shock absorbent polyurethane foams, insulating foams and fiberglass backers.
Previous attempts have been made to manufacture a homogeneous board for laminated flooring applications from recycled polyurethane materials. These boards do not include recycled vehicle headliners. These homogeneous boards were not fabricated using a three-layer construction, did not have a closed, non-porous smooth surface layer, and therefore were suitable only for high pressure lamination, but not for direct lamination.
Previous attempts have also been made to form a board from recycled plastic. Some other processes incorporated a mixture of wood and recycled plastic. One known panel uses recycled plastic as a core, sandwiched between layers of cellulose material, such as aspen wafers. This panel uses a mix of recycled plastics from interior seating and covers, headliner, trim and padding components, floor mats, seat divider console, exterior front and rear fascia grill, plastic lighting assemblies, trunk and floor padding components of a vehicle. This panel exhibited a significant drop in modulus of rupture when compared to an aspen wafer panel without a plastic core.
The only three layer panel, mentioned above, includes layers of a wood (cellulose) base. Therefore, none of the methods of manufacture or boards mentioned above describe a three layer composite panel made from recycled, non-organic components with a reduced thickness swell and a closed, non-porous smooth surface suitable for direct lamination. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a three layer composite panel comprised primarily of recycled polyurethanes along with other materials incidental to the recycled materials with improved moisture resistant properties and a closed, non-porous smooth surface suitable for direct lamination.